Snakes on a plane fear in Australia
Four baby pythons escaped from a container aboard a passenger plane in Australia, leading to a search that forced two flights to be cancelled.
Twelve non-venomous Stimson pythons were being transported on a flight from Alice Springs to Melbourne in the plane's cargo area in a bag inside a plastic foam box with air holes.
When the flight landed, it was discovered that four snakes had escaped from the package, a Qantas spokeswoman said.
A reptile expert searched for the six-inch-long snakes but did not find them. It was not known if the snakes were still on the plane or if they had somehow escaped outside after the plane landed.
In the meantime, the plane missed two flights it had been scheduled to fly and the passengers were transferred to other flights.
When the snakes were not found, the plane was fumigated and it returned to service.
Stimson's pythons, which can grow up to 3ft long, live in western and central Australia and are not an endangered species.
